Apparatus for continuous manufacture of cylindrical brushes

ABSTRACT

Cylindrical bushes manufactured by the direct twisting of two wires, tensioned parallel to one another, between which bristles are introduced during the twisting operation.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Mhedllornannwski Kleinekben, Richard Web, Troidorl, both 01, Germany Appi. No. 802,826 Filed Feb. 27, 1969 Patented Aug. 3, 1971 Assignee Dynamit Nobel Aktiengesellsehatt Priority Mar. 2, 1968 Germany P 16 32 368.5

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL BRUSHES 5 Claims, 10 Drawing Ftp.

US. Cl

[51] Int. Cl A46d 9/00 [50] Field of Search 300/221; 140/149 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,189,646 2/1940 Betzler 140/149 3,225,798 12/1965 Dessureau et 140/149 3,322,467 5/1967 Marks et a1. 300/2 Primary Examiner-Granville Y Custer, Jr. Attamey-Burgess, Dinklage & Sprung ABSTRACT: Cylindrical bushes manufactured by the direct twisting of two wires, tensioned parallel to one another, between which bristles are introduced during the twisting operation.

PATENIEU AUG 3 I971 SHEET 2 [IF 2 FIG 3.

INVENTORS ALFRED ROMANOWSKI RICHARD WEISS l\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ \\\\\Yi BURGESS, DINKLAGE & SPRUNG AT TORNE YS.

APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MANUFACTURE OF CYLINDRICAL BRUSHES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Discontinuous and semicontinuous operating or manufacturing processes are known in which, in the case of discontinuous manufacture, wire lengths up to a maximum of approximately 2.5 feet and, in the case of semicontinuous manufacture, of approximately 5.0 feet, are tensioned parallel to one another in a twisting device, and are then supplied with the required bristles either manually by means of special pliers or, in the case of semicontinuous manufacture, automatically by means of a feeder mechanism.

In US. Pat. No. 3,160,440 a continuously operating device is described for the manufacture of cylindrical brushes, which permits the twisting of wires of a relatively small diameter only because the twisting forcesact on the bristles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION be inserted between the two strands of wire fed into wire guide jaws wherein the bristles are in juxtaposition with both strands of wire.

A rotary drum turning in axial alignment with the two strands of wire containing the bristles therebetween has a gripping mechanism which grips the two strands of wire andpulls the wire through the drum, putting the wires in tension and while the drum rotates with the wires held rigidly by the gripping mechanism, imparts a twisting action to the two strands of wire about the equidistant common axis of the two strands with the bristles contained therebetween for that portion between the wire guide jaws and the gripping mechanism. During the same time the tensile force is applied to the wire, this means is used to draw the wires through the drum and out to a takeup device (not shown) or cut off to lengths desired.

Another embodiment employs another mechanical means of gripping the two strands of wire and applying tension and twisting at the same time. The invention lies in the direct application of force to the two wires, thus, the improvement permits manufacturing of cylindrical brushes of very large diameter wire which in turn allows larger amounts of bristles per length, larger bristles and more durable product. The force applied directly to the wires consists of an axial force as well as a radially inward force due to twisting. By this method the bristles are more securely held in place than in the method where twisting only is employed. The tensile force applied makes the two wires taut and when the tensile force is released, a certain force is exerted against the bristles in return to normal so long as set does not take place because the yield point the metal was exceeded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an elevation view of a wire twisting and bristle supply and feeder portions of a brush manufacturing machine in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 shows in part the gripping elements of FIG. I in an axial and plan view;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of another embodiment of a gripping element;

FIG. 4 is an axial view of the same gripping element in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is illustrative of a longitudinal and cross-sectional view of some of the variations of the manufactured product.

2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The manufacturing device illustrated in FIG. I comprises bristle hopper l for supplying bristles B to be used, cut to size, to metered feeder 2 which at a constant rate places the identical amount of bristles B onto transport feeder device 3. Wire supply consists of two drums and provides strands of wire A and C from each drum 4 (one only of which is shown schematically) to a pair of wire guide jaws 5.

The transport feeder device 3 deposits bristles B between the two strands of wire A and C at the point where the two wires pass out of wire guide jaws 5. After the wires A and C, with bristles B therebetween, leave wire guide jaws 5, they undergo continuous twisting and stretching in drawoff device 6, and finally passing between the blades 7 of a length-cutting device by means of which the bristle-brush (shown in FIG. 5) lengths, required in the course of the particular production run for the most variegated applications can be controllably cut. Only the two knives 7 are schematically illustrated in FIG. I of the length-cutting device of known construction.

With the exception of drawoff device 6, all of the aforementioned devices are known in the present state of the art and are already used in the manufacture of cylindrical brushes or other items.

Drawoff device 6 illustrated in FIG. 1 consists of two conveyor belts or chains 8 on which gripper blades 9 (shown in FIG. 2) have been mounted have an opening at one end contoured to be adapted to the sectional shape of wires A and C which are thereby securely held in order to be twisted. Accordingly, in addition to being rigidly secured for twisting, gripper blades 9 apply an axially longitudinal-wise force to draw off the bristle-carrying, twisted wire brush. Both conveyor chains 8 are installed in rotating drum 10 which provides the twisting of wires A and C entering through stationary guide jaws 5, twisting being accomplished upon rotation of drum 10. Drum 10 rotation is variably controlled and provided by gear drive 11 through transmission gear 12. The two conveyor belts or chains 8 can be driven at variable speeds relative to drum 10 through second speed transmission 13, which is coupled to drive 11, and through transmission gear 14, ring gear 14d, follower gears 14a, and 14b, pinion gears 14c, and worm gears 15. The speed ratio between rotating drum l0 and conveyor 8 is adjustable, decreasing the tension in wires A and C by turning variable gear 14a in the same direction of rotation as drum 10, or increasing the tension applied by opposing rotation and hence also causing the increase and decrease in pitch P (shown in FIG. 5d) of the twisting turns respectively.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment for performing the manufacturing processes described above. In a similar rotating drum 10 with similar drive means through transmission gears 12 and 14 there are rotatably mounted on bearing blocks 17, which are fixedly attached to the inside wall of the drum, two pair of small, peripherally interfacing rollers or disks I6 having a peripheral groove 19, shown in FIG. 4. These rollers or disks 16 provide the same twisting of the two wires and tension to draw off the twisted and finished brush as that described for gripper blades 9. The peripheral grooves are shaped in such a way that groove I9 corresponds to the cross section of wires A and C in juxtaposition to one another, and containing bristles B therebetween. In this manner the wires are thus clamped securely in groove 19 and the twisting is accomplished between the first disk and wire guide jaws 5, after introducing bristles B, by rotation of disks to, similar to that described for gripper blades 9.

For manufacturing Christmas tree branches of polyvinyl chloride bristles, forming device 20 (FIG. 3) is provided at the entrance to rotating drum 10, which shapes the cylindrical bristle-brush (shown in FIG. 5) following a slight prior heating to the bristle-brush to obtain various branch cross sections, some of which are illustrated in FIG. 5a, 5b and 5c. Forming device 20 is interchangeable so that each one of the aforementioned cross-sectional shapes of Christmas tree branches can be made. Following the twisting, stretching and drawoff device, similar to that as illustrated in FIG. 1, there is provided a length-cutting device of known design which can be appropriately controlled to cut the bristle-brush in desired lengths.

We claim:

1. ln apparatus for manufacture of cylindrical brushes comprising:

a. a bristle hopper for holding and supplying bristles,

b. a pair of wire guide jaws for guiding two wires to parallel, proximate positions, for travel of the wires away from the guide jaws in said positions,

c. feeder means-receiving bristles from the hopper and depositing them between said wires so that bristles are carried by the wires during said travel of the wires away from the guide jaws,

. a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder coaxial with the path of said travel of the wires, for receiving the wires carrying the bristles away from said guide jaws, and outfitted with brush-forming means for drawing the wires away from the guide jaws and effecting twisting of the wires upon rotation of the cylinder to secure the bristles between the wires,

e. means for rotating said cylinder, the improvement in said brush forming means which comprises:

f. opposed cooperating endless conveyor belts mounted in the cylinder for rotation therewith, means for driving the conveyor belts for said cooperation thereof, said conveyor belts carrying gripper blades at spaced intervals positioned for cooperation of the gripper blades of the two belts to engage the wires at spaced intervals for the twisting thereof in response to rotation of the cylinder, and drawing the wires away from the guide jaws.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1; the gripper blades being secured to the conveyor belts and have outwardly disposed free ends provided with peripheral grooves cooperating to receive and grip the two wires.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means for rotating said cylinder being a variable drive means, said means for driving the conveyor belts being a variable drive means, so that the conveyor belts can be driven at variable speeds relative to the rotation of the cylinder.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, the gripper blades working in pairs composed of a blade attached to each conveyor belt, the blades having pointed working ends facilitating passing of the blades through the bristles and making engagement of the blades with the wires.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, the blades of each cooperating pair, in the working position, having overlapping end portions in contiguous relation and engaging contiguous segments of the wires. 

1. In apparatus for manufacture of cylindrical brushes comprising: a. a bristle hopper for holding and supplying bristles, b. a pair of wire guide jaws for guiding two wires to parallel, proximate positions, for travel of the wires away from the guide jaws in said positions, c. feeder means-receiving bristles from the hopper and depositing them between said wires so that bristles are carried by the wires during said travel of the wires away from the guide jaws, d. a rotatably mounted hollow cylinder coaxial with the path of said travel of the wires, for receiving the wires carrying the bristles away from said guide jaws, and outfitted with brushforming means for drawing the wires away from the guide jaws and effecting twisting of the wires upon rotation of the cylinder to secure the bristles between the wires, e. means for rotating said cylinder, the improvement in said brush forming means which comprises: f. opposed cooperating endless conveyor belts mounted in the cylinder for rotation therewith, means for driving the conveyor belts for said cooperation thereof, said conveyor belts carrying gripper blades at spaced intervals positioned for cooperation of the gripper blades of the two belts to engage the wires at spaced intervals for the twisting thereof in response to rotation of the cylinder, and drawing the wires away from the guide jaws.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1; the gripper blades being secured to the conveyor belts and have outwardly disposed free ends provided with peripheral grooves cooperating to receive and grip the two wires.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, said means for rotating said cylinder being a variable drive means, said means for driving the conveyor belts being a variable drive means, so that the conveyor belts can be driven at variable speeds relative to the rotation of the cylinder.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1, the gripper blades working in pairs composed of a blade attached to each conveyor belt, the blades having pointed working ends facilitating passing of the blades through the bristles and making engagement of the blades with the wires.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, the blades of each cooperating pair, in the working position, having overlapping end portions in contiguous relation and engaging contiguous segments of the wires. 